Roof for railway car and method of making same



ROOF FOR RAILWAY CAR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME J. S. SWANN Filed July 31, 1961 o o ooo| Sept. 15, 1964 United States Patent 3,148,481 RF FOR WAY CAR AND METHOD 0F' MAKING SAB@ .lames S. Swann, Homewood, Ill., assigner to Stanray Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Enly 31, 1951, Ser. No. 128,246 6 Claims. (Cl. Sil-38) This invention relates to the structure of metal railway car roofs, and more particularly to a car roof sheet formed from aluminum, light gauge stainless steel, or other corrosion resistant material, and adapted to be assembled on the usual framing members deiining the roof opening of a railway car.

The principal objectives in the design of a railway car roof structure are to provide :a structure which is light and tiexible but which also has adequate load bearing capacity. The gauge of material can be reduced if corrosion resistant -types yare used, without sacrificing needed strength.

Consequently my invention is directed to a method by which a flat sheet can be conveniently and economically formed into a railway car roof sheet that can be secured to the railway car in a conventional manner. As so constructed, the railway car roof embodying my invention includes means whereby the roof of `the car will have adequate load bearing capacity.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a railway car roof formed of two or more roof sheets.

It is a further object of my invention to form the roo-f sheets completely on a brake after the sheet has been suitably notched, slit and punched in the iiat.

It is a further object of my invention to utilize seam caps of suitable material in conjunction with looped portions or ribs on the roof sheet so as to provide the necessary strength or stiffness in the car roof sheet and to further insure that the roof is weatherproof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a roof sheet inthe at before any forming operations on a brake.

FIGURE 2 is a top perspective view of a portion of the roo-f sheet after the sheet has been formed on a brake.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of a portion of my new roof sheet showing the manner in which the sheet is secured to the side plate of a railway car.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section view on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 of a portion of the roof sheet as formed which shows the manner in which a seam cap is secured to a rib on the car sheet.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section view on line 5 5 of FIG. 2.

In the drawings I have shown only a portion of a single roof sheet which forms a section of a railway car roof. It should be understood that when I refer to a roof sheet in this description of my invention, I am referring to a single sheet which is designed to cover half of the railway car from one end of the car to the transverse center line thereof. While I have described the use of two roof sheets to completely form the car roo-f, I do not wish to be limited to this exact construction as obviously my invention would be as easily applicable if more than two sheets are used to form the car roof.

In the embodiment disclosed the two roof sheets can be joined together at the transverse center line of the car by well known means such as the use of rivets to join abutting flanges on the two sheets. A seam cap can be used to cover this joint. This type of construction is known in the art and will not be further described except that 3,148,481 Patented Sept. l5., 1964 reference is made to my prior Patent No. 2,672,828 which shows similar structure.

In the drawings I have `shown only one fold or rib in the sheet, but it will be understood that the required number for desired stitness will be used. However, as will be understood, the single sheet is formed in the brake to provide a centrally located longitudinally extending ridge with downward sloping portions which extend to the side plates of the car. Each sheet has a plurality of ribs that extend transversely across the sheet from one side plate up to the ridge line and then downward from the ridge line to the opposite side plate. Seam caps cover the ribs for added stiffness and weatherprooiing.

The number of folds or ribs in a single roof sheet may vary to meet the requirements of stiffness or load bearing capacity. I have found, however, that if seam caps made of metals with relatively low strength characteristics are used on each rib, the ribs will have to be on about 201/2 inch centers and if higher strength seam caps are used, then the ribs can be on about 41 inch centers.

In the drawings the portion of the single roof sheet is indicated generally by the numeral lll. In FIGURE 1, this portion of the sheet is shown in the at with a triangular-shaped notch adjacent the eave edge of the sheet and this notch is defined by side edges 11 and 12. A plurality of aligned and spaced holes 13 are punched out at the eave edge of the sheet 10. In addition there are two parallel lines of spaced holes i4 punched out transversely of sheet l@ with the associated holes in the two lines `being aligned longitudinally of the sheet. At the point where a ridge line is to be formed in the roof sheet 10, the sheet 19 is longitudinally slit at l5 `across the lines of holes 14.

As previously pointed out, FIGURE l shows a portion of the roof sheet only. Consequently it will be understood that at the eave edges of the sheet there will be a plurality of transversely -aligned notches. Also the line of holes 13 will extend the length of the Sheet il? and the two lines of holes 14 will extend from a notch at one eave edge to the corresponding notch at the other eave.

After the roof sheet 1l) has been notched, punched and slit as indicated in FIGURE l, the sheet is ready to be formed in a brake. FIGURE 2 `shows a portion of sheet 1t) after this forming operation. It will be seen that the side edges of the sheet have been turned downward at edge 16 to form a ilange 17 so that the roof sheet can be secured to a car side plate 1S in a manner to be described later. It can also be seen that the sector of the sheet 1) lying between the transversely aligned notches in the sheet has been formed in the brake `to a raised rib generally indicated at 19. It should be noted that in this rib forming operation the material of sheet 1G lying near the central portion of `the sheet has been folded upward in a loop to form the rib 19. In addition, it should be noted .that edges 11 and 12 that defined the triangularshaped notch of the sheet are now pressed together at their top edges and ythat the portions of these two edges 11 and 12 which lie adjacent to the edge of sheet le now lie in abutting relation at the iiange 17, yas indicated at 24J. FIGURE 2 also clearly discloses that in the forming operation slit 15 has opened up slightly Iat lthe top of the raised rib 19. It will now be apparent that this slit 1.5 provides means whereby .the sheet 1G can be formed in the brake to produce a ridge line 21.

Attention is now directed to FIGURE 3 where the roof sheet 10 is shown secured to side plate 1S carried at the top of a car side frame (not shown). While I have shown a Z-shaped side plate, my roof sheet can be attached to any type of car side plate and this can be accomplished by punching the holes 13 at the desired location along the eave edge of the sheet. This side plate 18 has a dependent ange 22, web 23 and upstanding ange 24. A rellange V25 extends from the top of ange 24. It can be seen that the portion of the sheet v overlying the reange 25 of side plate 18 is secured thereto by a plurality of rivetsl 26 extending through holes 13 previously punched in roof sheet 10. .Flange 17-of sheet 10 provides an eave at the sides of the railway car.

As previously mentioned, a seam cap is secured over each of the ribs in my novel roof structure. Attention is directed to FIGURE 4 wherein a seam cap, generally indicated at 27, is shown disposed over the upstanding ribv 19 on sheet 10. As indicated, the'searn cap 27 is generally in the shape of an inverted U with legs 28 having outwardly turned ilanges 29. Rivets 30 Vare adapted to extend through openings'31 in legs 28 and through the aligned openings 14 in the upstanding rib 19 soas to secure they seam cap 27 on the rib 19. ,Flanges 29 are urged into tight engagement with the surfaceV of roof sheet 10 during application of the seam cap 29 so as to provide for a weatherproof joint.

From the foregoing it is evident that'I have provided a roof'design especially adapted for the use of aluminum for the roof, Yand which, after notching,'punching the rivet holes, and slitting, can be completely 'formed in a brake.

i `This materially reduces the cost 'of forming a roof in the conventional manner and loses none ofthe structural and weathertight advantages thereof;

I What is claimed is 1' i 1. A method of forminga railway car roof sheet from a at sheet of metal which comprises the steps of cutting a plurality of transversely aligned' and vlongitudinally spaced notches, in lthe metal at the side edges thereof, punching a series of longitudinally spacedholes near each side edgeof the sheet, punching two parallel'lines of holes in the sheet between the pairs of transversely aligned notches with the associated holes in both lines being longitudinally aligned, slitting the sheet at a plurality of points 3. A roof sheet for a railway car roof consisting of a single 'sheet of metal having a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending upstanding ribs on the top surface thereof, said ribs consisting of integral fold portions of the sheet centrally of the side edges thereof, the transverse medial line of the sheet dening a ridge line for the car roof, longitudinal slits in the medial line of said fold portions, the two sections of the car roof on opposite sides of said ridge line sloping downwardly, to an integrally formed dependent eave flange at the side edge of the sheet, the side walls of said ribs near the side edges of the sheet terminating in upper free top edges which slope downwardly and outwardly tothe top edge of said eave ange, said eave ange comprising a plurality of contiguous sections having abutting edge to edge relation at each point.

4. The structure-asdened in claim 3 wherein a seam cap, of corrosion resistant material overlies and is secured to each rib to strengthen `the roof sheet and to provide a weatherproof roof.

5. A roofsheet' for a railway car roof having a pluralityof longitudinally spaced upstanding integrally formed loops on the top surface thereof extending transversely of the slieet from side to side thereof, dependent eaves flanges along the side margins of said sheet, the side walls of said loops terminating in upper free top edges' which slope downwardly and outwardly to the top edges of the eaves ilanges'at thesides of said sheet, longitudinal slits inthe medial line of the loops to permit ease of bending on the transverse medial line so lthat each slit extends across the two parallel lines of holes, pressing upstanding ribs` transversely across said sheet between the pairs of notches, and bending the sheet to provide a ridge line dened by the pluralityof longitudinally aligned slits and downwardly turned eave flanges, at the side edges of said sheet.

2. The method as` defined in claim 1 wherein the notches are generally of triangular shape and the apex of each notch lies inward from the side edge of the sheet.

said sheet along said medial line to dene `the ridge line of the roof. f

6. The structure as claimed in claim 5 and a seam cap disposed over and secured to each loop to strengthen the roof sheet and to provide a weatherproof car roof.

References Cited in the le of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS -ipix ,ou 

3. A ROOF SHEET FOR A RAILWAY CAR ROOF CONSISTING OF A SINGLE SHEET OF METAL HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING UPSTANDING RIBS ON THE TOP SURFACE THEREOF, SAID RIBS CONSISTING OF INTEGRAL FOLD PORTIONS OF THE SHEET CENTRALLY OF THE SIDE EDGES THEREOF, THE TRANSVERSE MEDIAL LINE OF THE SHEET DEFINING A RIDGE LINE FOR THE CAR ROOF, LONGITUDINAL SLITS IN THE MEDIAL LINE OF SAID FOLD PORTIONS, THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE CAR ROOF ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID RIDGE LINE SLOPING DOWNWARDLY, TO AN INTEGRALLY FORMED DEPENDENT EAVE FLANGE AT THE SIDE EDGE OF THE SHEET, THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID RIBS NEAR THE SIDE EDGES OF THE SHEET TERMINATING IN UPPER FREE TOP EDGES WHICH SLOPE DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY TO THE TOP EDGE OF SAID EAVE FLANGE, SAID EAVE FLANGE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS SECTIONS HAVING ABUTTING EDGE TO EDGE RELATION AT EACH POINT. 